Hurricane Lee Tracker: Latest forecasts and spaghetti models with the storm expected to intensify quickly

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Warned in August This year’s season will produce a higher than usual number of storms. Between 14 and 21 named storms are expected. The agency said that among these areas, between six and 11 may develop into hurricanes, and two to five of them are likely to develop into major hurricanes.

Meanwhile, AccuWeather updated its forecast, predicting three to five Category 3 or stronger hurricanes this season, compared to one to three in its previous analysis.

The National Weather Service office in San Juan issued a warning for approaching Hurricane Lee on Thursday.

The hurricane is currently carrying winds of 80 mph, but they are expected to increase. The hurricane will likely reach a Category 4 or 5 category.

The weather service said forecasts show the hurricane tracking north of Puerto Rico, but the island is still expecting dangerous marine conditions, showers from outer bands and gusty winds near strong rain showers.

Waves from Hurricane Lee are expected to reach the British and US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, the Bahamas and Bermuda this weekend.

The fast-intensifying hurricane is expected to produce swells that will likely cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

Hurricane Lee was captured by a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellite on Thursday as it spun toward the Leeward Islands.

Hurricane Lee is shaping up to become an extremely dangerous hurricane, meteorologists warned Thursday.

“It has the potential to become a powerful Category 5 hurricane, the strongest hurricane of the year,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Jonathan Porter said.

It is expected to develop into an “extremely dangerous” major hurricane by early Saturday, according to the National Hurricane Center, which noted that the storm was moving over very warm waters and in a wet environment.

Big waves are likely to reach parts of the Lesser Antilles on Friday, according to meteorological forecasts.

The Lesser Antilles are a long arc of small islands in the Caribbean Sea extending from the British and US Virgin Islands to Grenada.

Hurricane Lee rapidly strengthened on Thursday as it moved toward the Caribbean islands, with “life-threatening” conditions expected to develop in the coming days.

Hurricane Lee is located about 965 miles (1,555 kilometers) east of the northern Leeward Islands, according to a 5 a.m. (ET) report from the National Hurricane Center (NHC) with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph (130 kph).

“Rapid intensification is expected to begin later today, and Lee is expected to become a major hurricane by early Friday,” the NHC reported.

Current forecasts are that Hurricane Lee will not make landfall but will pass north of the British Virgin Islands, which are still recovering from Hurricanes Maria and Irma in September 2017.

Record high ocean temperatures and a late El Nino phenomenon double the chances of a bad hurricane season in the Atlantic this summer and fall, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said last month.

Because the Atlantic hurricane season is well above normal so far, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has increased the number of storms expected and how busy the season will be.

Previous expectations were more inclined towards a season close to normal at 40%, but the chance of a normal season has now reduced to 25%. ap